Sociology Minor

Why a minor in Sociology?

The Sociology minor is an ideal course of study for students interested in gaining a complex, analytical understanding of:

• How society shapes our daily lives, sometimes in invisible and coercive ways.
• How differences of abilities, culture, race, class, gender, and sexual orientation contribute significantly to the shaping of societies.
• How to develop the skills and tools to discover, analyze, and change those obscure social processes that shape our lives.

The Sociology Minor includes both the academic study of society and is dedicated to promoting social justice and cultural respect.

What will I do in the minor?

Courses in the Sociology Minor fall into four areas of study:

• Foundational concepts in Sociology, the study of what people do, think, and feel within formal and informal groups, organizations, institutions, and communities.
• Sociological topics like social movements, the body, deviance, power, animals, food, and homelessness.
• Social institutions like the family, religion, education, government, and business.
• Social dimensions of the inequalities of gender, race, class, religion, culture, and sexual orientation.

Students in the Sociology Minor will take between 19 and 20 credits of Sociology courses.

What can I do with the minor?

A Sociology Minor is an excellent complement to a number of majors. These include:

• Professional programs such as psychology, criminal justice, human services, social work, and international business
• Liberal arts programs in history, gender studies, professional communication, ethnic studies, or philosophy.

More information on careers in sociology can be found on the American Sociology Association’s website.

Student outcomes

The learning outcomes for this major provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter the 21st-century workplace to:

• know and understand the essential concepts of social science;
• comprehend the historical foundations, theoretical paradigms, and research methods of social science;
• develop higher order thinking skills by analyzing and interpreting social science literature;
• write analytically in a style that is informed, well-reasoned, and literate;
• recognize and understand differences of gender and sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, religion, and social class;
• understand and utilize a global perspective
• develop civic skills by participating in community-based learning and internships
• become advocates and leaders in their communities, our nation, and the globe